By Juanita Grayson   Tue, Mar 30, 2010

Every piece of equipment has its' own personality, sometimes it will work well for you and at other times it just wants to play around. Some people will even have an affinity for electronics, the ability to bring out the best in any given cord, card or motherboard. But the video camera is in a league of its' own. Not only do they have their individual quirks, they have a collective consciousness. As actors, we have to know whether cameras love us, hate us or can be fooled into changing their minds.

Think it crazy if you will, but magic does happen somewhere between the actor and the screen that is entirely independent of all post production procedures. The nature of this magic and the degree to which it has an impact will determine how much of our work ends up on the cutting room floor, how well we portray our characters and ultimately our employability.

Understanding this magic is half the battle won for the actor. Camera Magic falls into one of four categories: Woefully Unlucky, Indifference, Lucky Devil and Chameleon.

Those in the Woefully Unlucky group will always appear worse on camera than they do in real life. This may be on the audio side of things but this curse is usually apparent visually. Excluding the actor's ego, this is not necessarily a bad thing - provided that actor is aware of it. If the camera makes an otherwise normal feature stand out like a pimple on a pumpkin, the actor can go from good looking to average or average to ugly. Given that all types of people are needed to portray life, these people simply need to find their niche.

Indifference is the 'limbo' group. The people in this group are either yet to define their Camera Magic or have none either way. They appear on camera just as they would in their day-to-day lives. Working on the assumption that every actor has an accurate self image (flawed logic, I know, but we have to start from somewhere) then those in this group know just how to pitch themselves for roles that suit them.

The Lucky Devil's are an infuriating bunch. They are the Cinderella's of the acting world. Normally nondescript or just on the side of good looking, they turn into the most beautiful swans on camera. It is like the camera dons a special pair of rose coloured glasses just for them, they look amazing no matter what they do. Not only is their Camera Magic maddening just in the fact they possess it, Lucky Devils get more roles. Talent can get pushed aside for these people and the unfairness stings those in the lower ranks. Almost without exception, Lucky Devil's know that they are in this blessed group.

The Chameleons are those that hop through the levels of Camera Magic regularly and never quite know where they stand. They will undoubtedly have spent a lot of time in Indifference, but will also experience times of both the Woefully Unlucky and the Lucky Devil.

Generally speaking, there majority of people are in Indifference. Whether or not they know they are, is a whole other story. Likewise, there aren't many people in either of the extremes. From memory, I have only come across one of the Woefully Unlucky but if I was in this category, I would seriously consider a career change.

From what I can gather, any one person's Camera Magic doesn't change and nor can they in any way influence or sway the direction of it. Chameleons may have a little control on any given day with the help of make-up or caffeine, but this theory is still untested.

While any given actor may not be sure of the condition of their own Camera Magic, they will certainly be able to pick what everyone else is and the dynamics of a group of actors will change accordingly. The group will flock to the Lucky Devils in the hope of shining in their reflected glory and the Woefully Unlucky spiral downwards. In other words, it can be high school all over again.

But the good news is that there is a rare breed of people well versed in the lore of Camera Magic: Casting Directors. They usually know upon meeting the status of any given actor. Sometimes it might not be seen on the small display screen of the camera but once it is on a bigger screen, the audience can be blown away.

No matter what side of the camera you are on, Camera Magic does exist - forewarned is forearmed - and if you find a way to appease the Camera Magic Gods, patent your formula before you share it.

Juanita is available for acting work and her contact details are here or go to our Authors section.

By Ben Longden   Wed, Mar 17, 2010

If you are thinking of making the move to High Definition, and want something that won't break the bank, but will deliver the goods - as in true 16:9 with the full 1920x1080 50i recording, then you simply have to look at this new camera from Sony.

Using a tapeless workflow, the new Sony HDRAX-2000 uses the now almost commonplace AVCHD format. But what makes this camera a standout is the fact it is one of the few that uses AVCHD in a camera designed for the semi professional.

What you WILL have to do is ensure that your PC (or Mac) and editing package is capable of handling AVCHD files, , and that you have the necessary equipment to manage HD - as well as play it.

The optics are certainly in keeping with the aim of the camera; to provide high quality at a really good price. Using the G series lens built in to the body, as is the custom with Sony's semi pro cameras, the lens offers a seriously good focal range and a decent wide angle  to an almost over the top extreme telephoto.

If you are thinking of making the move to High Definition, and want something that won't break the bank, but will deliver the goods - as in true 16:9 with the full 1920x1080 50i recording, then you simply have to look at this new camera from Sony.

Using a tapeless workflow, the new Sony HDRAX-2000 uses the now almost commonplace AVCHD format. But what makes this camera a standout is the fact it is one of the few that uses AVCHD in a camera designed for the semi professional.

What you WILL have to do is ensure that your PC (or Mac) and editing package is capable of handling AVCHD files, , and that you have the necessary equipment to manage HD - as well as play it.

The optics are certainly in keeping with the aim of the camera; to provide high quality at a really good price. Using the G series lens built in to the body, as is the custom with Sony's semi pro cameras, the lens offers a seriously good focal range and a decent wide angle  to an almost over the top extreme telephoto.

At the wide end of 29.5mm, the lens offers close to a 90 degree field of view, with almost imperceptible barrel or pincushion distortion, and an extremely even exposure edge to edge.  It's nice to see someone is actually listening to the camera buyer, wanting to have a slightly wider than "usual" lens, which means you won't have to think about buying a wide angle converter for general use... nor suffering the usual despair when you realize it's in the gadget bag - at home.

Having a 20x optical zoom means you can use the camera at maximum zoom without any graininess or artifacts from  use of the dreaded digital zoom effect... in fact, Sony do NOT give you the option of digital zoom.  For that fact alone, Sony should be applauded.

Not only that, but the camera has an incredible low light capability, and is much on a par with some of its broadcast cousins. The camera does not have a hyper gain function, but in most cases this simply adds too much noise to the image, and degrades a natural looking picture. In low light, the image from this camera is clear and crisp.

Over the past few years, Sony has put a lot of work into low light function, and improving things so images are usable, without being overly grainy. This camera is no exception with three  Exmor 1/3 inch chip  sensors  that use CMOS technology. Its so good that it will give you a decent image  with 1.5 lux at 1/30 fixed shutter and auto iris.

The colour rendition is excellent. In fact its better than that. Looking at the on board LCD screen, the balance was spot on, and later in post production, the colours were more natural. And closer to what I remembered.

With a camera, half the equation is vision. The other half is sound.  Any video camera worth its salt will have the ability to plug in external mikes, and true to form, this creation has two 3-pin Canon XLR sockets. Having this ability to record 48khz audio is vital. No ifs or buts there.

For an "out of the box" test, I simply did that. Bought an SD card, clicked in the tiny battery and off I went. Everything was done automatically - except at the start the blasted nagware asking me to please tell it the date. Once that nagging was satisfied, the camera operated like a dream.

While Sony makes no bones about this camera being for the semi professional, and having a zillion and one special effects including a cinematic feel, you really need to abide by the general principal of shoot the scene as pristinely as you can, and do any effects in post production.

As for it being semi professional... well, I feel that moniker is a little understated.  Most professionals could easily use this camera for any HD project they had in mind. My only criticism really about using it was the (seemingly) eternal delay between switching on and recording... I lost a shot I knew would have been in the can with my DSR-570. But that's the news camera operator in me talking.

Looking at the nitty gritty, would it be fair to compare this (sub) $7000 camera with say a Standard Definition broadcast big brother with 2/3 inch chip retailing new for around $25K?

Yes it would, and that's just what I did.  On screen - lounge plasma and on the PC, the image was stunning... and that was from BOTH cameras. Well, you would expect that from the Sony DSR-570 anyway.  What I was not expecting was the clarity of detail offered by true HD.

So, I decided to import a frame grab into Photoshop, and magnify a small area of screen, just to be really picky about quality.

And you know what?  Its brilliant.  The lens is spot on. No discernable distortion, and the text clearly readable.  But then that is true  HD... oh, and a Sony as well.

My dislikes:

By Press Release   Tue, Mar 16, 2010

Sydney, Australia, March 2, 2010 － JVC announces the launch of the new GZ-HM550 Everio camcorder with built-in Bluetooth wireless technology allowing users to shoot videos and stills in conjunction with a variety of Bluetooth wireless devices in brand new ways.
 
New ways you can use your Everio using Bluetooth wireless technology include using a compatible smartphone. By simply installing a supplied application beforehand, you can control the Everio camcorder remotely, directing Record, Zoom and Play operations from a distance. You can also wirelessly transfer still images from the Everio to a compatible smartphone so your favourite photos can be shared with your family and friends.
 
You can also use it with a GPS unit to record location data of where movie/still files were recorded. This data synchronises with Google Earth^TM when viewing images on the bundled Everio MediaBrowser via a PC. More and more people are choosing to chronicle their trips by linking to online maps, and the GZ-HM550 will make this easier.
 

Sydney, Australia, March 2, 2010 － JVC announces the launch of the new GZ-HM550 Everio camcorder with built-in Bluetooth wireless technology allowing users to shoot videos and stills in conjunction with a variety of Bluetooth wireless devices in brand new ways.
 
New ways you can use your Everio using Bluetooth wireless technology include using a compatible smartphone. By simply installing a supplied application beforehand, you can control the Everio camcorder remotely, directing Record, Zoom and Play operations from a distance. You can also wirelessly transfer still images from the Everio to a compatible smartphone so your favourite photos can be shared with your family and friends.
 
You can also use it with a GPS unit to record location data of where movie/still files were recorded. This data synchronises with Google Earth^TM when viewing images on the bundled Everio MediaBrowser via a PC. More and more people are choosing to chronicle their trips by linking to online maps, and the GZ-HM550 will make this easier.
 
You can also use the Everio GZ-MG550 with a headset to monitor sound while shooting, pick up distant sound or to record your own voice. Wireless headset pairs to the camcorder in a similar way as a mobile phone or smartphone.
 
Aside from offering built-in Bluetooth wireless technology, the GZ-HM550 provides all the quality and convenience features to appeal to consumers who are looking for a high-performance camera in a compact package. Its 10.62 Megapixel Back-illuminated CMOS Sensor enables shooting of 1920 x 1080 Full HD videos and real 9 Megapixel digital stills.
 
The equipped KONICA MINOLTA HD LENS is currently one of the world's smallest and slimmest HD lens, and offers 16x dynamic zoom without any degradation of picture quality. All this is further supported by new technologies that ramp-up basic image quality including Super LoLux and Advanced Image Stabilizer.
 
Super LoLux improves low-light sensitivity to capture clear images with precise colours even in low-light environments. GZ-HM550 is also equipped with both LED light and flash for shooting in dark situations.
 
Advanced Image Stabilizer ensures steady images even while walking, and is especially effective when shooting bright scenes from full wide to 5x zoom.
 
Recorded content is stored on the internal 32GB flash memory, with an SD/SDHC card slot to provide additional storage. And like many other models in the new Everio lineup, the GZ-HM550 offers new advanced and creative shooting functions like Time-Lapse REC and Auto REC.
 
Time-Lapse REC provides a sophisticated technique with easy operation - simply set to record in intervals ranging from 1 to 80 seconds. When played back, hours-long segments will be reduced to mere seconds. You can capture the magic of a sunrise or the amazing wonder of a flower opening its petals easily with Everio.
 
Auto REC automatically begins recording when a person enters the picture - a convenient solution for home surveillance, monitoring a baby, recording wildlife, and more.
 
Also Motor Drive Shooting (9 Megapixel stills up to 15fps) and Ultra-Slow Motion Playback by high speed recording (up to 500fps) are available.
 
Digital files created with this and all new Everio camcorders can be easily shared in a variety of popular formats with the enhanced Everio MediaBrowser software for Windows®, which now provides automatic conversion of HD videos for immediate sharing on YouTube^TM at HD or SD resolution. Files also can be directly exported to iTunes and synced with an iPod or iPhone, or burned to DVD, all with just a few mouse clicks using the same Everio MediaBrowser application.
 
To make it easier for the user to find and play any scene he or she wants, the GZ-HM550 offers Face Flow Thumbnail which displays thumbnails from a particular section of a video by automatically selecting and zooming into human faces. And to make shooting and carrying easier, this camcorder has a redesigned grip belt that works in two ways - as a conventional handle-style grip when both ends are snapped in place or as a strap when one end of the belt is released.
 
Innovation is an Everio tradition. The latest GZ-HM550 Everio camera showcases some of the innovative ways JVC is incorporating new technologies into personal visual communication.


JVC's new Everio camcorder line-up comprises six high-definition models and two standard definition models in a selection of six glossy body colors.
                     
JVC's full line-up of new Everio camcorders for the 2010 season suits all needs with a diverse 8-model selection of high- and standard-definition models equipped for versatile, high-quality recording onto a variety of media, including internal hard disk drives, flash memory and/or SD/SDHC cards.
 
Some of the many new features across the 2010 Everio line-up include exciting upgrades for enhanced image quality, such as Super LoLux and Advanced Image Stabilizer, plus features for advanced shooting, including Time-Lapse REC and Auto REC, underscoring JVC's continuing commitment to Everio quality.
 
Super LoLux improves low-light sensitivity to capture clear images with precise colors even in low-light environments. Super LoLux is made possible by a back-illuminated CMOS sensor incorporated in selected HD models and a high-sensitivity 1/6" CCD in standard-definition models.
 
Advanced Image Stabilizer (AIS) ensures steady images even while walking, and is especially effective when shooting bright scenes from full wide to 5x zoom. Available on all models, Advanced Image Stabilizer uses a wide-angle image sampling area that is four times larger than those of conventional systems.
 
Time-Lapse REC is a sophisticated but easy-to-use feature for time-lapse shooting in 1- to 80-second intervals, enabling hours-long segments to be reduced to seconds, such as the continuous recording of changing sky patterns spanning an entire day.
 
Auto REC automatically begins recording when a person or other moving subject enters the picture and the luminance changes, a  great convenience for home surveillance, monitoring a baby, recording wildlife, taking group shots (instead of using a self-timer) and more.
 
The new Everio high-definition models feature a KONICA MINOLTA HD LENS, currently one of the world's smallest and slimmest HD lenses, offering up to 30x optical magnification, the top level zoom ratio for a high-definition camcorder lens on the market today.
 
Everio high-definition memory models automatically switch between two internal media for continuous, uninterrupted recordings. Users can shoot seamless, drop-out-free recordings using dual SD cards or flash memory. HD-model enhancements also include Face Flow Thumbnail, which displays thumbnails from a particular section of a video by automatically selecting and zooming into human faces.
 
The 2010 Everio series features an original vertically oriented design to create an especially appealing appearance when the models are stood up vertically. This fashionable design concept is also highly practical, making it extra easy to carry around these slim-body camcorders. Portability has been further enhanced with a redesigned grip belt that now works in two handy ways, as a conventional handle-style grip when both ends are snapped in place or as a strap when one end of the belt is released. The series offers six distinctively glossy body colors - black, silver, titanium silver, red, pink and blue - varying by model.

Pricing:

GZ-MS215 – Pink, Blue, Silver
RRP: $449
Available: March 2010

GZ-MG750 –Red, Silver
RRP: $659
Available: March 2010

GZ-HM330 Titanium Silver, Red
RRP: $899
Available: March 2010
 
GZ-HD500 – Silver
RRP: $999
Available: March 2010

GZ-HD620 – Black
RRP: $1099
Available: March 2010

GZ-HM350 – Black
RRP: $1299
Available: March 2010

GZ-HM550 – Black
RRP: $1999
Available: March 2010
 
GZ-HM1 – Silver
RRP: $2199
Available: May 2010

By Frank McLeod   Thu, Mar 11, 2010

Sometimes you get to find out about things in the most chancy of ways - and I recently stumbled across the Camzilla CZ1 Monster Grip online and to paraphrase an old ad, 'I'm glad I did!'

In a number of projects I have wanted to mount a camera securely to a car and record the moving scenery from the internal forward and backward views, the bonnet, roof or window view, etc - you get the idea. However, having watched a mate risk his much-loved Sony VX21000 tied to the roof facing the rear and using duct tape, string, tie-downs and faith, I knew it would take something more substantial for me to risk my wonderful Panasonic GS400 much less the Sony FX1.

And then I came across the CZ1.

Now as an aquarium owner, I know about suction cups since they 'hold almost everything in place' (NOT!) under water in a fish tank. I KNOW and realise they are worth three quarters of the square root of bugger-all in terms of reliable holding power, but vacuum cups are the real deal. Although derived from the suction cup principle, a vacuum cup is basically a round sheet of flexible rubber-like hi-tech plastic material moulded into a flattened round sheet that tapers to the edges and is attached to a supporting rigid concave cup. When the assembly is pressed firmly against a smooth surface, a lever system raises the rigid supporting cup from the flexible sheet while pressing down on its edges, creating both a great seal and a strong negative pressure. The result is a strong attaching force transmitted to the rubber diaphragm below it which is now held strongly in place due to external atmospheric pressure and I gotta tell you - it requires more than a reasonable degree of force to break its grip.

This kit comes in a number of pieces. First from the top down there is the quick release mechanism with a small (I wish it was bigger) plate that attaches to the base of your camera. This bit goes on top of the mounting plate. This quite substantial piece of metal attaches by a ball base to one end of a short arm which in turn is held firmly at the top and bottom ends by the strength of a two-plate compression system which grabs on the balls at both ends with mated shallow sockets thus allowing positional flexibility and strength at both ends. The lower end in the 'default' arrangement then attaches to the twin-lever vacuum cup assembly which ties to the smooth surface as described above. Certainly you can crank this baby up with a fair degree of one-handed force and it will hold its position.

There is also an extension which lengthens, again through a ball and socket arrangement, the overall support arm giving even more positions and flexibility in size of camera used. In addition there is a clamp which does without the vacuum system and binds the unit to any available bar, such as the handle bars on cycles or motor bikes.

Finally, there is a safety strap which anyone with any sense would always use to minimise a catastrophe if any part of the system failed. (If this did happen, at least based on my experience with mounted in-car GPS systems, it is highly likely to be a user error. L)

In use, it is not surprising that the closer to vertical the overall axis of the Camzilla is, the more stable the image produced will be. If either the main arm or the extension is horizontal, there is more opportunity for more movement and this is more pronounced with heavier cameras. Accordingly, it is advised to turn on the camera's image stabilisation system to minimise this as well as vibration from the vehicle itself.

I think this is a good bit of gear at a good price. It opens up some avenues for movie making that average amateur might not have considered. If the possibilities that open up with the use of a device like the Camzilla CZ1 Monster Grip system are of interest to you, I suggest a visit to their website to check out more of the detail for yourself.

Vendor:                                

Serious Media
PO Box 314
Artarmon NSW 2164
www.camzilla.com.au
02 9415 4488

Price:      Basic CZ1 kit                                $139

             Optional heavy duty 3-cup base       $69

AusCam Ratings

Ease of use:                          8         

Features:                              9

Documentation:                    8

Value for money:                  8

We liked:        The overall strength and flexibility of the design in use; it does what it says it will do.

We didn't like: The inescapable concern that the system will let go and damage the precious camera. So - suck it up!

By David Smith   Tue, Mar 23, 2010

Multi-camera video production is commonplace, especially for studio broadcast but also for coverage of conferences, concerts and numerous other live events. When events are edited live with a vision switcher, synchronisation is automatic, but when events are recorded to tape, hard disk or other storage media, synchronisation for editing becomes a critical issue.

My early experience was with film production and there, even with a single camera, synchronisation between film and audio tape was crucially important. The camera assistant would always have a properly prepared clapper board ready at the head or tail of each and every shot. At the call 'Mark it!' the clapper would be snapped firmly down providing a clear audio and visual synchronisation point for the film editor.

With single-camera video shoots synchronisation is automatic so there's no need for a clapper board, although it can still be useful for identifying scenes and take information.

-

Multi-camera video production is commonplace, especially for studio broadcast but also for coverage of conferences, concerts and numerous other live events. When events are edited live with a vision switcher, synchronisation is automatic, but when events are recorded to tape, hard disk or other storage media, synchronisation for editing becomes a critical issue.

My early experience was with film production and there, even with a single camera, synchronisation between film and audio tape was crucially important. The camera assistant would always have a properly prepared clapper board ready at the head or tail of each and every shot. At the call 'Mark it!' the clapper would be snapped firmly down providing a clear audio and visual synchronisation point for the film editor.

With single-camera video shoots synchronisation is automatic so there's no need for a clapper board, although it can still be useful for identifying scenes and take information.

We've done numerous multi-camera video shoots covering everything from punk bands to trauma surgery and we have relied on a good old-fashioned clapper board as a simple but effective way of establishing sync points. The loud 'clap' is clearly visible in the audio waveforms and so sync is achieved by simply sliding the various clips along the timeline until the visible spikes line up. Of course, if one or other  camera is turned off during the shoot, a new sync point will required, usually by adding a 'tail slate' at the end of the take.

This approach, which harks back to the earliest days of post silent era movies, is slightly clumsy but it works. But given the immense power of digital processing in the video world, wouldn't it be great if someone had invented a kind of 'digital slate' that could make audio synchronisation automatic? Well they have. The engineers at Singular Software have come up with an ingenious approach to sync'ing which is fast accurate and simple to use.

Every waveform has its own unique characteristics which in effect become its 'digital fingerprint'.  Simultaneously recorded audio tracks will have nearly identical fingerprints and this is where PluralEyes' magic comes in. When presented with a couple of video clips recorded from two video cameras, PluralEyes takes a few moments to analyse the wave forms, then decides whether or not they have come from a common source. If they are sync'able, PluralEyes aligns them perfectly after just one click.

Some clips may contain sections that are not in sync, and PluralEyes can detect these sections and split the clips so that non-sync sections are clearly separated from sync ones.

Fine tuning the analysis

I found that the default settings worked remarkably well on most clips. Some difficulties may arise when recorded audio levels are too low or if the signal to noise ratio is poor. In this case you simply click on the button to change options and select whichever ones are most likely to help solve the problem. Briefly, the options are as follows:

Preserve order (events are chronological)

This tells the software that the clips on your timeline were recorded in chronological order, thereby reducing the effort and time PluralEyes takes to sync the clips.

Level audio

Similar to a 'normalise' option in audio editors, this option is useful for evening out the levels that might vary too much, due to different types of microphones or subject to mic distance. The processing takes a little extra time but it's probably worth leaving this option on in most situations

Use media markers

By adding named markers at known sync points in each clip you can help PluralEyes work faster to achieve sync. Multiple markers are possible, provided they are given unique names, such as 'Start' and 'End' in each of the clips.

Try really hard

With its self-explanatory name, this option forces PluralEyes to really 'go for it' in its efforts to find sync. Allow up to ten times for time for the extra processing and only use this option for clips with known problems.

Allow subframe audio offsets

Especially effective in NLEs such as Vegas that can work to the sub-frame level, this option is sufficiently precise to prevent phase distortion issues. The downside is that Vegas may conclude that the audio is actually out of sync and will colour the audio clip pink to reflect this. If pink upsets you, don't use this option.

PluralEyes is not a standalone program but a plugin - or in Vegas-speak an 'extension' that resides under Tools>Extensions>PluralEyes. Use the customise toolbar option to have its button live on the toolbar.

PluralEyes supports both 32- and 64-bit versions of Vegas Pro and the license allows use on two different computers. It won't work with Vegas Studio.

PluralEyes is also available for Final Cut Pro.

Summary

This is an ingenious piece of software that is very well implemented, although somewhat expensive. However, once it's on your system you'll probably never feel the need to use a clapper board again (although those sync points would allow PluralEyes to work extremely effectively). PluralEyes will find a use in any situation in which multiple audio sources are used, in both video and audio production situations. It's a real time saver that will become as automatic to use as your ripple edit button or your Shuttle Pro - one of those tools that, once used, will never be left out of the workflow.

Vendor: Singular Software (online purchase)  www.singularsoftware.com

Price: USD$149

AusCam Ratings

Performance: 9

Documentation: 7

Features: 9 

Installation:   8

Value: 8

Help:  9

We Liked:   Ingenious concept, ease of use; speed of operation, useful options

We Didn't Like:  Somewhat expensive for a plugin

By Frank McLeod   Mon, Mar 22, 2010

Ok - now the book

Jan Ozer is a senior IT and video journalist from the USA and has many publications and columns to his credit. This new book, part of the Classroom in a Book series from Adobe is one of his latest offerings.

Don't get this wrong - these books are not intended for a fireside read with your feet up and a glass in hand of any one of the many brown liquids you might fancy. (Anyone for tea?) These books are about seriously getting to grips with your software and as such, while easy to follow, require the appropriate amount of time to be set aside for each 'lesson'.  However, the process is simple.

Like other books in this series, there is an accompanying DVD in a sleeve inside the back cover.  Early instructions in the book will have you copying the Lessons folder from the disc to your hard drive, from where you will import the required video/audio/still image assets into your timeline for the various projects.

Each lesson begins with a 'what you are about to learn' summary along with a list of specific learning goals that it is hoped you will attain and retain.  There is also an estimate of the time it will take to complete the lesson as laid out in that chapter. 

The book is highly graphical, with many screen shots and highlighted paragraphs of particular importance or relevance. At the end of each lesson/chapter, there is a Review panel where a series of questions are asked of you in order you can self-assess your success with that chapter.

A wide range of topics is covered. After a brief intro including instructions for installing the program itself, there is a chapter on digital video which goes on to examine the Premiere Elements 8 workspace with particular attention being paid to the Organizer (see article on Premiere Elements 8).  Jan then moves on in the next chapter to setup a project and diagnosing setup related problems. This is very important for inexperienced editors and helps get around a potentially major obstacle early in the piece. Nothing could be more disheartening in this pastime that hitting a brick wall built of aspect ratio quandaries and frame size conflicts. Been there! Done that!

Then in subsequent chapters are covered the capture, importing and organistaion of assets,  editing, effects, transitions, titles and credits, audio, themes and menus.  Finally, distribution of your product (sharing) is the penultimate chapter before a brief introduction to Photoshop Elements, the picture and paint editor that comes with Premiere Elements in one of the retail products.

One minor drawback is that all the projects are in NTSC standard definition format so for these exercises, you will need to set up the Project Properties to that format. However detailed instructions how to come to terms with that are given early in the first hands-one lesson.

While at the time of writing this book was not available from Adobe directly, it is advertised by some Australian online retailers at between $45-55.

By Press Release   Thu, Mar 18, 2010

Sydney, Australia - 17 March 2010: Lexar Media has announced improvements to the Professional line of CompactFlash® (CF) and Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC^TM) memory cards.  Lexar has increased the capacity of Professional 300x CF cards to 32GB and the Lexar Professional 133x SDHC card has achieved a Class 10 speed rating.

The improvements to the Lexar® Professional line allow professional photographers and advanced enthusiasts to capture more high-resolution images and high-definition (HD) video with their digital SLRs.

The Lexar Professional 133x SDHC memory card now offers the maximum Class 10 speed rating, providing a blazing-fast minimum sustained write speed capability of 133x (20MB per second) for shooting higher-resolution images and large-sized, high-definition video files with SDHC-enabled devices. Additionally, the Lexar Professional 133x SDHC card significantly improves camera performance and image transfer speeds from card to computer, reducing post-production time and enabling shooters to focus on the business of photography.

"For professional photographers, running out of space on a memory card just isn't an option," said Richard Clarke, National Sales Manager ANZ, Lexar Media. "Lexar's high-performance and high-capacity memory cards allow photographers to shoot more images than ever before without the added burden of worrying about when their memory card may fill up.  The capacity increases and functionality improvements we've made to the Lexar Professional product line further signify Lexar Media's commitment to fulfilling the demands of the industry and providing photographers with the equipment they need to maximise their digital imaging experience - both professionally and personally."

Lexar Professional CF memory cards in all capacities offer impressive speed and performance, with a guaranteed minimum sustained write speed capability of 300x (45MB per second) for enhanced capture capabilities. When paired with a UDMA-enabled device, such as the Lexar Professional UDMA FireWire® 800 Reader or the Lexar Professional UDMA Dual-Slot USB Reader, Lexar Professional CF and SDHC cards significantly improve the digital imaging workflow by accelerating the download of captured images to a destination computer.

In addition to the high speeds and capacities of the Lexar Professional CF and SDHC cards, users also receive the reliability they have come to expect from Lexar. All Lexar memory cards are tested in the Lexar Reliability Lab, a facility with more than 800 digital cameras and memory card devices, to ensure quality, performance, and compatibility. Lexar performs this extensive testing in an effort to provide customers with a higher level of confidence, whether they are capturing once-in-a-lifetime memories, important events, or everyday occasions.

Customers can also access the Lexar Digital Photography website, a dedicated, online resource and tips destination (http://www.lexar.com/dp/), and can also leverage phone and live-chat tech support. Lexar provides these services and resources to customers to minimise the time required for troubleshooting card issues, and to provide tools for photographers to optimise their shooting and focus on capturing great images.

Availability and pricing

The Lexar Professional 300x CF, and 133x Class 10 SDHC cards are available now  on Lexar.com, in specialty photo retailers and consumer electronics outlets including Camera House, Dick Smith Electronics, Harvey Norman, Myer and Teds. 

• Lexar Professional 300x CF 8GB AU$ 124.60 / 16GB AU$177.35 / 32GB AU$238.70
• Lexar Professional 133x SDHC 4GB AU$56.80 / 8GB AU$117.20

All Professional line cards include a limited lifetime warranty and free downloadable copy of Image Rescue^TM 4, the latest version of Lexar's award-winning image recovery software. In addition, the cards include exclusive, money-saving promotions from Adobe on popular photo and video editing products, including the latest versions of Adobe® Photoshop® Lightroom®, Adobe Photoshop Elements, and Adobe Premiere® Elements software.

By Press Release   Wed, Mar 17, 2010

Motionlink, a traditional Australian authoring house in Sydney, diversifies into the DCI market with CLIPSTER. DVS's premium DI workstation dramatically improves Motionlink's workflow.

Hanover. When the Australian company Motionlink expanded into the business of distributing Digital Cinema Packages (DCPs) for cinema in 2010, they were faced with the challenges of DCP packaging and DCPs workflows - specifically speed and performance. The DCI (Digital Cinema Initiative) establishes exacting specifications for digital cinema that ensure a uniform and high level of technical performance, reliability and quality control. Motionlink, being a smaller facility and mindful of both the expenditure and the complexity DCI workflows, realized there was no margin for error or downtime. The DVS CLIPSTER^® met these requirements easily and provided the best and most efficient DCI workflow for Motionlink.

In January 2010, Motionlink installed the DVS CLIPSTER^® supplied by Sydney-based post production and digital media specialist Digistor. CLIPSTER^® can perform all the steps required for the production of Digital Cinema Packages for distribution to cinemas for digital projection - steps that would otherwise need to be distributed over several products. Motionlink can now create DCPs as a new revenue stream and service to their clients.

When they integrated CLIPSTER^® into their pipeline, Motionlink benefitted immensely from the DI workstation's DCI wizard that guides the user through all DCI Mastering steps. They also achieved an extension to their product range and service offerings, a high-speed workflow and increased security. Well supported by DVS's DI workstation, Motionlink is now able to create DCPs at lightning speed, QC the whole process reliably and expand into a brand new area for the business.

Grant Salinger, MD at Motionlink: "When DVS demonstrated their DCP packaging, it became crystal clear to us that this intelligent DCI workflow could not be matched by any other competitive solution. We're still ecstatic that within one hour of their delivery, the DVS unit was underway producing DCPs for the Wiggles cinema tour."

CLIPSTER^®, the DVS flagship, consists of a robust feature set including conforming, editing, color correction, and versioning in resolutions up to uncompressed 4K in real-time. All necessary DCI steps from DSM (Digital Source Master) to DCP (Digital Cinema Package) can be created in a single system thus preventing time-consuming transfer processes through the use of many different components. Since the DSM and JPEG2000 material can be played back with audio in real time, the entire process is very transparent and time-saving. The possibility to view the finished DCP directly in CLIPSTER^® helps Motionlink's editors control its quality fast and easy.

Dan Germain, WW Business Development and Pre Sales at DVS: "We're thrilled that Motionlink has opted for a brand new line of business with our company flagship CLIPSTER^®. It is brilliant that another cutting-edge DCI workflow is now up and running on the fifth continent and we're proud to support such an important Australian client."

By Press Release   Wed, Mar 17, 2010

Milpitas, CA, March 10, 2010 -- Blackmagic Design Inc. congratulates Avatar, Precious, Coraline and Invictus on their nomination for the Oscar Awards by the National Academy of Arts and Sciences. Blackmagic Design is proud to have been used in the production of Avatar and Precious, films nominated for Best Picture, as well as in a number of other Oscar nominated films, including Coraline and Invictus.

Filmmaking continues to innovate and redesign itself using Blackmagic's digital technologies. From the 3D world of Avatar to the intense real-world dramas such as Precious using different formats, color, shading and other digital technology, filmmakers have to build digital workflows that address a huge range of technical needs. Blackmagic Design's extensive line of products has given filmmakers of all levels the confidence to create digitally.

A wide range of Blackmagic Design products were used in a number of nominated films. These product lines included high-end 3D/color grading and video mastering through the Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve and 2K product lines, the Blackmagic Design HDLink HD and 2K monitoring solution, Blackmagic Design Multibridge Extreme PCI Express capture and playback technology and Blackmagic Design VideoHub SD/HD 3Gb/s SDI routers.

"I want to congratulate this year's Oscar nominees and winners," said Grant Petty, CEO of Blackmagic Design. "This has been a great year for digital technology within the film industry and gave us a glimpse of what the next decade's filmmaking workflows will look like. I am proud to say that Blackmagic Design has played a critical part in this leap forward."

By David Smith   Tue, Mar 16, 2010

Many years ago I was working with the ABC Natural History Unit on the 6-part series Nature of Australia. One of my roles was to research stories and locations then work with the cinematographer setting up hides, building sets, drinking red wine and so forth.

Writer/Executive Producer the late John Van Den Beld had written in a scene for the final program covering the introduction of rabbits into Australia and the damage they had subsequently done to the environment. These days, however, rabbits are a very nervy species, having been shot at, poisoned, bombed with baited carrots and trapped for decades.

I spent several months touring eastern Australia by car, trying to locate the perfect place to film a rabbit community. Mostly without luck. On several occasions in the barren eroded hills of Bacchus Marsh, cinematographer Keith Taylor and I dug deep trenches and set up hides near warren systems. Then we’d sneak into the hide at about 3 am and wait, camera pointed to the east across the burrow entrances so the pre-dawn glow would back-light the little bunnies in that time-honoured tradition of wildlife film making.

Many years ago I was working with the ABC Natural History Unit on the 6-part series Nature of Australia. One of my roles was to research stories and locations then work with the cinematographer setting up hides, building sets, drinking red wine and so forth.

Writer/Executive Producer the late John Van Den Beld had written in a scene for the final program covering the introduction of rabbits into Australia and the damage they had subsequently done to the environment. These days, however, rabbits are a very nervy species, having been shot at, poisoned, bombed with baited carrots and trapped for decades.

I spent several months touring eastern Australia by car, trying to locate the perfect place to film a rabbit community. Mostly without luck. On several occasions in the barren eroded hills of Bacchus Marsh, cinematographer Keith Taylor and I dug deep trenches and set up hides near warren systems. Then we’d sneak into the hide at about 3 am and wait, camera pointed to the east across the burrow entrances so the pre-dawn glow would back-light the little bunnies in that time-honoured tradition of wildlife film making.

Unfortunately each time the cutesy little bunnies refused to emerge until we’d dismantled the hide and prepared to move on, requiring me to make a series of difficult phone calls to John in Head Office at the ABC. “What the *&^%$#* do you mean you’ve got no rabbit footage? Do you realise how much these expeditions are costing me?” Or words to that effect.

Finally – and it was to be the absolute last ditch stand – Keith and I found the perfect location on French Island in Victoria. It’s a mosquito-ridden hole of a place with multi-engined mossies that can pick you up and carry you away and black snakes, copperheads and tiger snakes always ready to be trodden on in the bracken.  

But from a rabbitty perspective this place was perfect. A complex colony with about 35 rabbits including many kittens and some young batchelors who were setting up burrows on the outskirts of the main warren. We had a tractor dig a pit in which to set up the tripod, pitched the hide over the hole and, enormously pleased with ourselves and our efforts, decided to have a pre-shoot, celebratory dinner at the French Island Lodge before getting few winks of shut-eye in preparation for the 3 am start.

As we enjoyed a glass of fine red and waited for our meal, a group of about a dozen craggy, wizened up old geezers in filthy Drizabones and flat felt hats stumbled into the bar and demanded beers all round. It took a few minutes and a few questions to discover that the geezers were actually the Mentone Ferreting Association and this evening was the start of their annual ferreting trip to French Island. And where had they first loosed their furry ferrety friends? No, it couldn’t be. Yes it was. They had selected the warren system out near that tent arrangement and their elite SAS-class ferrets had taken out all but one of our 35 rabbits.

The one question I had neglected to ask – and which none of the locals had seen fit to advise me about – was “Is there by chance an Annual Meeting of a Ferreting Society being held here over the next few weeks?”

John Van’s response to my phone call could be heard at the far end of the island and with some trepidation we packed up the gear into the huge trailer and took the leaky ferry back to the mainland. Not at all a happy experience, but one I’ll never forget.

How many people are we interviewing?

I recount the rabbit anecdote because I thought of it just last week when we were shooting some interviews at Denby’s new Red Hood Studio in Collingwood.

During the week before the first shoot, I spoke several times on the phone with the production coordinator and I specifically asked her if we were to shoot a single person interview or an interview with two people. I explained that we could easily set up for either situation but that we needed to know for sure because interviewing two people having a chat would require a very different set up. Absolutely one-person interview, she said, and repeated this each time I asked. I told her we had set up for the single interview but that the backdrop was not wide enough for two people so we would need quite some time to re-rig it for two people. No, it’s definitely a single interview.

OK, we set up for the single, knowing that the bloke being interviewed was only in Australia for a couple of days and that we only had access to him for two hours tops.

Come the morning of the shoot and everything’s meticulously in place. Camera and sound checks done we await the arrival of the interviewees and the gentleman who will be interviewing him. They’re late. Our two-hour window is shrinking to less than an hour.

They arrive and announce that it can’t possibly be done as a single interview, it absolutely has to be a chat between two people. Denby and I looked at each other and at the production coordinator and I tried to maintain my cool look even though my brain was screaming at me “How are you going to solve this one, David?”

I explained that we were not happy having to do this but that we had no option but to shoot the whole thing as a two-shot. They only had time for a single take so there wasn’t even time to do reverse questions, noddies and so on. In short we were put on the spot but we video’d the interview and it went beautifully. The two guys were energetic and articulate and in the end the clients were delighted with the result. Denby and I knew we could have done so much better if we’d rearranged the set for two guests and three cameras, but hey, they loved our work and paid the bill so who’s complaining?

I guess there are lessons to be learned from every shoot but the golden rule that emerged for me is that you can never ask too many questions. The problem in the case of the interviews was that the production coordinator – and this is in no way intended to sleight her – had never coordinated a video production before and so she didn’t have any way of appreciating the implications of my seemingly innocent question “Are we interviewing one person or two?” If there’s any blame to be laid it’s to me because I clearly hadn’t asked her how much video experience she’d had. I assumed she knew about video shoots and would have asked the guests what they needed. And as a notorious executive producer who need not be named (not John Van Den Beld) once instilled in me “David, if you ASSUME you make an ASS out of U and ME.” Another homely aphorism I’ll take to my grave.

Dr David Smith runs imaginACTION in Melbourne. www.imaginaction.net.au

Denby Smith manages Red Hood Studio in Collingwood.   redhoodstudio@yahoo.com.au

By Steve Turner   Mon, Mar 15, 2010

So you've managed to glue a few pics to a timeline and run through the video effects. Once you've mastered the picture side you might want to start looking at sound and how to make it better and easier to manipulate. Here are a couple of tips to try out that will markedly improve the final product.

How to sound like a pro voiceover...

Well that's never going to happen for me no matter what happens. Like most people I hate the sound of my own voice. In my head it's a great radio voice. What everyone else hears is embarrassing. You can do something about it though. Males and female voices can be adjusted to improve the sound and it's very nearly a template that can be tweaked to suit.

Inside Premiere there are now a range of audio effects available and there's no real need to export to sweeten the sound.

In this case select the voice clip on the timeline and apply the EQ filter from the audio effects folder. Then shift the frequencies as follows.

MALE

• 400hz to 500hz set at -3 to -6db
• 1k or 2 k at -2 to -4db
• 3k to 6k at +2db

FEMALE

Same except set between 500hz to 600hz

After that you can add some compression using the following guide :

COMPRESSION

• Ratio 4 to 1 or 6 to 1
• Threshold reduce to -7db
• Back off the compressor output to limit distortion on the output.

 So there you are. Make a few minor tweaks and you will hear a major difference in the quality of the voice and you'll never be able to leave a recording in its original state again!!

Levels...

Your carefully crafted project will inevitably be held together with loads of individual clips on the timeline. Raising or lowering the track level is easy but what happens when the clips levels are all over the shop and you have to raise or lower each clip one at a time? It's a real pain to work through each clip one at a time. Well here's a quick way to do it more easily.

Drop the level on, for instance, a loud clip to where it needs to be. Simply right click and "copy". Next select the clips that have roughly the same level and right click again. Select "paste attributes" and the level will drop on all the selected clips. Easy and very useful.

Paste attributes does the same for any effects you have applied to sound as well as video. Set the EQ on one clip and then copy and paste attributes to all the other clips you need to. You can tweak to your hearts content later but at least they are in the ballpark.

Mix it up...

Got a stray noise you can't get rid of in the background sound? If you just cut and paste a replacement part you will often hear the new part too obviously. Try copying a matching section from somewhere else and then drop it on a new audio track below the faulty part. Extend it before and after the dud bit and then cut out the noise. Fade out then in the main track and the new part. All being well you'll have a seamless repair.

By Press Release   Wed, Mar 10, 2010

Send Matrox your HD demo reel or clips from your best projects and have a chance to be a part of our upcoming show reel which will be featured at events worldwide in 2010. You will have a chance to win one of two Matrox MXO2 LE I/O devices with Matrox MAX H.264 encoding acceleration! Click here to enter or for more information

By Joan Rennie   Thu, Mar 11, 2010

This is going to be so exciting! A week-long get-together of video enthusiasts. Hundreds of people exchanging ideas on the best way to make a video with lots of social activities thrown in. (I am already on a diet in readiness!)

• Where? Noosa Heads in Queensland (That's on the Sunshine Coast - leave the family at the beach!)
• When? May 17 - 21st, 2010
• Want some more information?  www.famm.org.au/news/convention.html  

This event is called a "Convention" and is a chance for people from video clubs around Australia to come together both socially and, for those, like me, who are always eager to learn more, educationally.

This event is organised by FAMM (Federation of Australian Movie Makers) and although special rates are offered to members of FAMM - members of most video clubs are paid members of FAMM - The event is also open to video enthusiasts who are not FAMM members.

A full day workshop is to be conducted by Kayte New and Matthew T Inglis on directing and producing a screen drama ("From Script to Screen") I am really looking forward to that!

This one day alone should be a magnet for any budding film maker!

The other days in the Convention program may be of greater interest to club members than to independent film makers - but do check out the program for yourself - click on "brochure" to see it.

A word of warning, if you are keen to attend, do not make any payments on-line. The address to send your application and money is on the brochure. I heard there was a bit of funny business going on with payments on line - some individual unknown to the organisers of the event, was collecting the money!

If you cannot go I shall have to tell you all about it later!

AJ (Joan Rennie)

--
http://joanren.blogspot.com

By Press Release   Wed, Mar 10, 2010

By David Hague   Fri, Mar 05, 2010

I'm in love. No really! I have just had the new Panasonic HDC SD700 arrive and I am truly smitten. Here is everything a hi-def camcorder should be - and then some. In fact, I could only find one fault.

It seems that finally, a manufacturer has listened to not only us reviewers, but also its customers and actually made a camcorder WE want, not one that they reckon we need. As such, the  SD card based SD700 has the goods.

For example, it has a viewfinder in addition to the flip out LCD. As anyone who has tried to take footage outside on a bright sunny day will know, this is a major bonus! And the 3" LCD is a cracker too with controls on the bezel to activate tele/wide, record, the menu system, a quick menu and deletion buttons. It also has a row of icons across the top giving instant feedback of the camera's status including battery level, time left, the optical image stabiliser, shooting mode and wide angle degree currently being shot (the lens is a 35mm equivalent). There is an auto shooting mode that automatically switches the camera to the correct mode for the current environment as well as an auto contrast mode. Of course, everything manual is available at the press of a button right down to the combo focus/zoom ring at the front.

As I said, up here for thinkin'.

I'm in love. No really! I have just had the new Panasonic HDC SD700 arrive and I am truly smitten. Here is everything a hi-def camcorder should be - and then some. In fact, I could only find one fault.

It seems that finally, a manufacturer has listened to not only us reviewers, but also its customers and actually made a camcorder WE want, not one that they reckon we need. As such, the  SD card based SD700 has the goods.

For example, it has a viewfinder in addition to the flip out LCD. As anyone who has tried to take footage outside on a bright sunny day will know, this is a major bonus! And the 3" LCD is a cracker too with controls on the bezel to activate tele/wide, record, the menu system, a quick menu and deletion buttons. It also has a row of icons across the top giving instant feedback of the camera's status including battery level, time left, the optical image stabiliser, shooting mode and wide angle degree currently being shot (the lens is a 35mm equivalent). There is an auto shooting mode that automatically switches the camera to the correct mode for the current environment as well as an auto contrast mode. Of course, everything manual is available at the press of a button right down to the combo focus/zoom ring at the front.

As I said, up here for thinkin'.

Speaking of the lens, it is, as would be expected from Leica (in my humble opinion they make the best), a ripper and has a clever self closing lens cover to protect it; you also get a small but effective screw on lens hood, but this sadly then precludes adding any filters etc unfortunately, something I think of as almost mandatory.

Adding to the lens quality is the one factor that sets most of Panasonic's camcorders aside from the rest in that there are 3CMOS. With these, you get the benefit of a whopping 14.2 megapixels in stills mode. Also in the "almost unique" category are sockets for both headphone AND external microphone, and a natty little add-on bracket affair to mount a hot-shoe on the barrel of the camera for a light. Tucked away under another flap in the body of the camera are ports for HDMI (cable supplied too!), Bluetooth and AVI multi-connector. The AV port is underneath the battery and this allows the battery to be charged in the cradle of the AC adaptor while you keep shooting.

Some other nice features include a three second buffer for continual recording thus minimising losing action due to sloppy reaction time to hit the record button, a new wind cancelling system that in testing was very effective (although a good dead wombat on a mic such as a Rode Videomic is still hard to beat) and a neat system allowing you to track the focus and exposure of a chosen item in the viewfinder - say a person, animal etc. The LCD also has an auto function to adjust the brightness according to the ambient light - very clever.

And this brings me neatly to the one fault in my opinion. The LCD screen is also a touch panel. I know this method has its fans, but as I have said a million times without exaggerating, why would you allow a primary viewing device to have fingerprints all over it. It's like driving with a filthy windscreen.

This is a cracker of a camera. It's not cheap at $2499 (for the SD card model), but it is not designed for the occasional weekend home movie maker, but aimed squarely at the serious hobbyist, film festival shooter or even as a backup/portable camera for the professional. It IS that good.

CONTACT: Panasonic Australia                                                   
ONLINE: www.panasonic.com.au
MARKET: Serious hobbyists, professionals
PRICE: $1499
PRO: Just go and buy it!
STARS: 9.5
CONS: Personal hate of touch screen technology

Addedum (added 12th March 2010)

The more upmarket version of the TM700 is the HDC-HK700, which is a hybrid camera, capable of recording to either its 240 GB HDD or SD/SDHD/SDXC cards from 32MB and upwards. Unlike the TM700, the HS700 has no internal memory but this is more than adequately replaced by its large hard disk. It has the same largish (for a consumer camcorder) CMOS sensors, optics and overall configuration. There is an insignificant difference in the weights, but not in the price with this leading model displaying an RRP of $2099.

 Frank McLeod had a play with camera and summarises his view as follows: "This is a truly delightful camera and would be great for the traveller given the amount of storage available. Of course, like all AVCHD cameras, make sure your computer can handle the load and check the system requirements before paying out your hard earned."

By Press Release   Wed, Mar 10, 2010

March 8, 2010,  Ontario, USA  -  Digital Rapids has unveiled the new StreamZHD Live ABR encoder, the industry's highest-performance Adaptive Bit Rate streaming system. The latest model in the StreamZ Live family, StreamZHD Live ABR encodes and streams live HD and SD content at unparalleled quality for delivery through the latest generation of adaptive streaming technologies.

StreamZHD Live ABR supports the Dynamic Streaming capabilities of Adobe Flash Media Server adaptive HTTP streaming to Apple iPhone mobile devices, and Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) Smooth Streaming to Microsoft Silverlight powered viewing experiences. StreamZHD Live ABR is also easily extensible to support additional adaptive delivery technologies, such as Adobe's upcoming HTTP Dynamic Streaming (announced as Project Zeri).

Adaptive bit rate streaming enables higher-quality viewing experiences with television-like continuity and reliability on the Web and mobile devices. StreamZHD Live ABR creates multiple output streams at varying bit rates and resolutions from the input source. As the content is delivered to each viewer, the chosen adaptive delivery technology automatically switches between these streams to deliver the best possible quality based on the viewer's current network and local system conditions. The results are consistent, uninterrupted viewing experiences up to HD quality even under dramatically changing network connectivity and playback conditions.

Building on Digital Rapids' long-standing ability to output multiple formats, resolutions and bit rates simultaneously in real time, StreamZHD Live ABR provides superior encoding performance for adaptive delivery. Combinations of up to seven HD and SD streams can be output simultaneously in real time from a single StreamZHD Live ABR unit. StreamZHD Live ABR can output streams up to full 1920x1080 at 30fps in the H.264 compression format - including simultaneous 1080p and 720p outputs -- and up to 720p with VC-1 compression. Multiple StreamZHD Live ABR systems can be synchronised to encode the same source for adaptive streaming applications requiring a greater number of simultaneous streams. A single StreamZHD Live ABR unit can also create outputs for multiple platforms - such as the Web and iPhone - concurrently.

Adaptive bit rate technologies also minimise the initial viewing delay typical with earlier streaming methods, providing fast start-up times approaching the immediacy of traditional television. The historical approach of content providers offering streams in two or three tiered bit rates for the viewer to select between - often with poor results under changing conditions or if viewers over-estimate their capabilities - is also no longer necessary. Viewers simply start viewing from a single engagement point, with the adaptive technologies managing the bit rate dynamically.

StreamZHD Live ABR combines all of these benefits with the proven advantages of Digital Rapids' StreamZ Live encoder family, forming the ideal adaptive streaming platform. Advanced video pre-processing features including motion adaptive de-interlacing with pixel-level analysis and video noise reduction deliver superior visual quality with the most efficient use of bandwidth in the compressed result. Video adjustments and graphic overlay enable refinement of incoming sources and the addition of branding to output streams. Multiple StreamZHD Live ABR encoders can be combined with the scalable Digital Rapids Broadcast Manager software for enterprise-class management, automation, scheduling, multi-channel monitoring and failover

"Our live encoding and streaming solutions have long been regarded as the quality leaders, but even with the best encoding quality, the viewing experience can be constrained by delivery challenges such as varying network bandwidth. StreamZHD Live ABR combines our superior quality and robust, enterprise-class features with advanced delivery mechanisms to significantly improve the viewer experience," said Darren Gallipeau, Product Manager at Digital Rapids. "Higher quality and consistent reliability lead to longer viewer engagement times, which in turn offer greater monetisation opportunities to content owners. Meanwhile, the exceptional performance of StreamZHD Live ABR lowers the cost of encoding for adaptive streaming by producing all of the outputs within a single unit."

Availability

The new StreamZHD Live ABR model is now shipping. Full adaptive streaming capabilities are also available in Digital Rapids' versatile StreamZHD multi-format, live and on-demand studio encoders.

The complete range of Digital Rapids solutions is available in Australia and New zealand through Adimex authorised Digital Rapids resellers.

By Press Release   Tue, Mar 09, 2010

Extract from AVID's user forum regarding AVID Liquid

Avid has decided to retire the Liquid product family.  This means we will no longer sell or develop Liquid products effective today, March 3, 2010.  The decision to end this product family was not made lightly but it is necessary to allow us to focus our future development efforts to ensure that we can best respond to the changing needs of both our professional and consumer customers.  When making this decision, we had to consider Liquid's role in our video editing solution portfolio, our ability to evolve this platform to cost effectively meet future customer needs and our focus on enabling the success of all of our customers by making sure we delivered robust training and support capabilities. 

While we have made this difficult decision, it is still our goal to make certain that each one of you is successful and to retain you as an Avid customer.  I appreciate the strong loyalty the Liquid customers have shown for this product family and we want to offer you a bridge to another Avid product that will meet your needs.  

With that in mind, I am pleased to announce a limited loyalty upgrade and conversion to Avid Media Composer v4.x (PC or Mac) for just $495 US MSRP (valid March 10 - June 30, 2010).  An email will be sent to all Liquid registered customers worldwide during the week of March 8, 2010 with detailed information about this offer including where to buy, pricing details and other added benefits. 

This upgrade will only be made available to Liquid customers who were registered by March 10, 2010.  If you haven't registered your Liquid product, you will need to do so on the product registration page no later than by 5 pm Pacific Time on Wednesday, March 10, 2010.  After this time, the registration page will be removed from our Web site.

The full piece can be read here

By Joan Rennie   Tue, Mar 09, 2010

Sound is almost as important as the pictures in a video. Take away the sound and not many people will continue to watch the video. If the sound is soft enough to need turning up the volume and then loud enough to wake the dead, then the video will be ejected. So sound is very important!

I am really jumping many tutorials in both camera work and editing to give you this article - but am a firm believer in giving help with a subject when it is most needed.

Have you heard of "Sound Effects" sometimes written "SoundFX"? I have 17 CDs of different sounds ranging from bird song to atmosphere sounds of the sea (waves, wind, gulls), town (cars, trams, feet on pavements) and country (streams, waterfalls, domestic animals) and even sounds of burps, coughs and sneezes. These are all classed as "SoundFX".

SoundFX CDs are readily available at any music outlets. These discs can be really useful when the sound captured by the camera has been ruined with the roar of wind or the squealing of a bad tempered child. I find myself often searching my CD collection for sounds to add to my video. One thing I really do not like is a video that has had the entire soundtrack replaced with music. An exception to that is a video that has been edited to the rhythm of the music.

I also have a collection of sound effects that I have gathered myself. Whenever I am out and about with a camera I stop for a while with the camera on a tripod and take a long (sixty seconds) shot without touching the camera. The auto focus is off (the motor noise of the Auto setting might be picked up by the mic) and the accompanying picture (the camera does not move) tells me that the sound is what is important in this piece of video. The "ambience" of the area you are taking your video is unique and you would not find it on any CD.

Music selection

Any video is given a lift with the sensible use of music. When your video is for showing to your family, the music you use can come from your own private music collection - but beware of using music that is so well known that anyone watching the video will sing along with the melody. If the music draws the attention away from the video you have lost your audience.

If the video is to be shown in a competition or is one that is to be sold then the rules change for the music you can use. Either a music license has to be bought or else Copyright Free/Public Domain music must be purchased. When you buy this music you are paying for the license to use it. Credit to the musician must also be put in the credits at the end of the video.

I am assuming you are making your video as a hobby - so preferably select music that has no vocals and, if possible, find music that has not had a lot of radio time so it is not too distracting. The rhythm and pace of the music should complement the pace and rhythm of your video.

Commentary

There is a lot I could write about putting a commentary on a video but I will do that another day. Most videos do need a commentary - unless they are dramas or consist of interview only .

Some editing programs allow you to record directly to the computer as the timeline is playing. Since most people I have met have been atrocious at ad-libbing I would recommend writing your commentary down before recording it. I also suggest that you record your voice to an audio editor where you can be sure that you have the correct volume for the voice recording - and if not you can do something about it.

Balancing sound

I can really tell the people who do not use and audio editor to "normalize" their voice recording levels. They are the people who have a DVD that when put into the player need to have the volume adjusted up or down!

The voice recording needs to be "Normalized" to zero decibels. There is no excuse not to have an audio editor - there are free programs available from the 'net.

The music needs to be at a lower volume than the voice so that the voice is never swamped by the music. It is a good idea to fade the music even lower when the commentary is playing. The background sound needs to be even lower than the music, it should never dominate - and should there be music playing in the background fade out the background sound or fade out the music but do not have both playing at the same time.

Constant music is very tiring - so try to have patches in your video where the only sound is the background sound. But do not be tempted to bring that sound louder, keep it soft.

Having breaks in your music gives you a chance to change the tempo and style of the music to suit the next event in the video - and it also gives you that precious chance to use the "winding down" part of the music to put at the end of the video. The music must finish with the video and if the video fades out after all the credits the music should fade out at the same moment. Move the music along on the timeline so that it does!

Have fun with your video making hobby.

AJ

http://joanren.blogspot.com

By   Mon, Mar 08, 2010

Today, YouTube announced that it is making auto-captions available for all users, representing one of the largest accessibility projects of its kind.  Auto-captions use the same voice recognition algorithms used in Google Voice to automatically generate captions for video upon viewer request. Auto-captions for everyone will open up millions of YouTube videos to people who are deaf and hard-of-hearing. In addition, these videos can be translated into anyone of 50 different languages.

One in six Australians is affected by hearing loss and recent studies have predicted that over 700 million people worldwide will suffer from hearing impairment by 2015. To address a clear need, the broadcast industry began running captions on regular video programming in the early 1970s. Today, closed captions on video are more prevalent than ever. But generating captions today can be a time-consuming and complicated process.  

Making video easily accessible is something YouTube is working hard to address. One of the first steps the YouTube team took was the development of a caption feature in 2008. In November of last year the YouTube released auto-captioning for a small, select group of partners.

Auto-captioning combines some of the speech-to-text algorithms found in Google's Voice Search to automatically generate video captions when requested by a viewer. The video owner can also download the auto-generated captions, improve them, and upload the new version. Viewers will have the ability to choose an option to translate those captions into any one of 50 different languages -- all in just a couple of clicks.  There will even be a "request processing" button for un-captioned videos that any video owner can click on if they want to speed up the availability of auto-captions. It will take some time to process all the available video, so here are some things to keep in mind:

• While YouTube plans to broaden the feature to include more languages in the months to come, currently, auto-captioning is only for videos where English is spoken.
• Just like any speech recognition application, auto-captions require a clearly spoken audio track. Videos with background noise or a muffled voice can't be auto-captioned. President Obama's speech on the recent Chilean Earthquake is a good example of the kind of audio that works for auto-captions.
• Auto-captions aren't perfect and just like any other transcription, the owner of the video needs to check to make sure they're accurate. In other cases, the audio file may not be good enough to generate auto-captions. But please be patient -- YouTube speech recognition technology gets better every day.  
• Auto-captions should be available to everyone who's interested in using them. The YouTube team is also working to provide auto-captions for all past user uploads that fit the above mentioned requirements. If you're having trouble enabling them for your video, please visit the Help Centre here.

For content owners, the power of auto-captioning is significant. With just a few quick clicks your videos can be accessed by a whole new global audience. And captions can make it easier for users to discover content on YouTube.

Twenty hours of video is uploaded to YouTube every minute. Making some of these videos more accessible to people who have hearing disabilities or who speak different languages, not only represents a significant advancement in the democratization of information, it can also help foster greater collaboration and understanding

By Ben Longden   Sat, Feb 20, 2010

Nothing annoys me more on a location shoot than wind noise. In fact I've had more than an earful of it, and decided to do something serious about it.

The occasion was a couple of weeks ago when on location at a major horse stud filming a tutorial for my client, a major veterinarian firm in northern Victoria. All the talking head pieces had been shot in the stables and then it was outside to shoot a specialist tutorial. Then the wind started to really spring up. Strong wind. Really strong wind.

The talent was around 30 metres from the camera and wearing a radio microphone clipped to the shirtfront and with a custom-made foam windsock. It certainly didn't help the situation to have the talent speaking so quietly either. The levels were typically hovering around -15dB, which meant the compressor was working overtime to compensate. I heard a rustle then crackle while monitoring and stopped tape to do another take but by now the wind noise was swamping the speech.

turning your back

The problem was fixed immediately by having the subject turn his back to the wind so his body sheltered the mic. Mind you, the lighting was now another issue, but reflectors and lights fixed that. (But that's another story) This got me thinking; what could I do to reduce the wind noise problem on outdoor shoots? I mean to say, the radio mic has a foam windsock and the Rode shotty not only has a foam shield, but also permanently wears a dead rat - a synthetic fur coat. I did a net search and found, well.. nothing.

There were certainly lots of patent applications for electronic noise reduction systems, but a bare handful on the issue at hand. But to me this was an area where I confess I have little knowledge or expertise, despite a childhood spent building electronic gear including mic preamps, mixers and amps and an adult life using them and creating radio adverts. I asked (Editor) David to get AUSCAM sound expert Graeme Hague on board.

warning! science content

What I did know from basic science was that the microphone element inside the mic was designed to pick up sound waves, and that the movement of air, no matter how gentle would always create sound as it struck any object. The clue was to have it strike the object as far away from the mic element as possible, and preferably have the resulting sound and energy absorbed instead of being reflected inside so it could hit the microphone element. In other words having nonmoving air next to the microphone.

A quick way of checking this thinking was to stand into the wind, and cover the ears. Deflecting the wind worked. While I've always thought of a foam windsock on a mic as more of protection from physical damage than wind noise, I thought it time to literally bite the bullet and do a test. noise, damned wind noise

When out and about, I use the Rode shotty with 'full protection' and the on camera mic has its foam cover and dead rat as well. I use this combo simply because it was an economical system of best practice to reduce noise - but how effective was it? So I played with the gear. The unprotected shotty versus the foam sock, versus the foam sock and dead rat.

The answer was a no brainer. The dead rat combo won hands down for wind noise reduction. My sound gathering for fieldwork was up to scratch. That was until I had to record an interview in slightly stronger wind conditions where there was no escape. By slight, I'm talking ten knots on an open plain. Monitoring the sound proved the problem was there, even with a sheltered lavalier or lapel microphone. Using the shotty on a boompole as I frequently do was no better.

There had to be a solution. I'd heard of using an enclosed case, nicknamed a Zeppelin due to its shape, but found them to be rare and very very expensive. in flew the blimp Then Rode Microphones, an Aussie company, announced it was now producing the Blimp.

It's an enclosed protection device for just this situation - and at a price under $250 including delivery. A quick online shopping order with Auscam advertiser VideoGuys of Melbourne saw the box arrive two days later. No way was I just going to do a review. I needed this gear for my own work.

I just grabbed the Blimp and assembled the mic into it and decided there was only one thing to do - test it. So I headed off to the Echuca Airport where it was blowing up to 25 knots and was 42 degrees in the shade. If you're going to do a road test, why not do it under extremes? So I simply set up the mic stand next to the camera and pointed things toward the wind - and airport windsock - so the wind speed could have a visual reference. As the camera has two audio channels, track one was left to the on-board mic, in situ with its foam sock and dead rat combo to act as a reference, so the audio from the test could be directly compared. Channel two was set to the Rode NTG-2 connected via coax for the testing.

flight testing the blimp

The Rode would be set under several conditions:

1. Bare mounted in a Rode suspension mount to isolate it from mechanical noise from the mic stand. It was to have no protection. This was to be the baseline measurement. The mic was set to give a flat response, and not engage the bass roll-off, which is used as a common wind noise reduction technique.

2. Still mounted in the suspension frame, it was fitted with just the foam windsock

3. As above but with a dead rat slipped over the foam sock.

4. Taken out of the suspension mount, the shotty was placed inside the Rode Blimp following the maker's instructions. The Blimp was mounted on the mic stand so it would be in the same physical space as before.

5. Exactly as for the Blimp base test, but with the Rode dead Wombat fur coat placed over the Blimp. The results were not that surprising. Even looking at the VU meter on the camera and monitoring through the headphones, it roughly indicated there and then that the wind noise reduction improved to the point of being -30dB compared to the on camera mic. In anyone's language, that is a huge reduction. But it was not till the vision was imported into my NLE, and the sound lines gave an astonishing result. The Blimp with Dead Wombat was giving a flat line.

auscam online

To say I was impressed is an understatement. I cut a short .WMV (7.5Mb) of the test, and it should be noted that I've done nothing to the audio tracks at all. The NLE was set to its default settings all the way. Even the vision is untouched. This test has to be heard to be believed. It's now on the AusCam website for download. If you do, open it in your NLE to check the audio lines, or play it but pan between left and right very quickly. For the folks who need numbers, the test results were as follows; Bear in mind the wind was around 15 knots and gusting to 20, as can be seen from the airport windsock.

1. On camera mic -10.1dB. Bare Rode -0.1dB A gain of 10dB. This was to be expected. The on camera mic was protected with its foam sock and dead rat that is always in place. The Rode was completely bare.

2. On camera mic -17.3dB. Foam socked Rode -13.8dB - a gain of 3.5dB. Again an expected result, as the on camera mic has more protection.

3. On Camera mic -12.8dB. Rode with Foam sock AND dead rat -15dB. A reduction of 2.2dB. I was not expecting this result. I was thinking it would be closer to the on camera mic, as the foam is almost identical and the synthetic fur is from the same roll of material. Mind you, the human ear is just able to distinguish a 3dB change, which represents a multiplication factor of two in terms of energy. The Rode was receiving half the noise energy as its on camera counterpart.

4. On camera mic -12.2dB. Rode fitted in Blimp -26.3dB. A reduction of 14.1dB. What can I say? Astonishing. 5. On camera mic -9.2dB. Blimp in a dead wombat -31.2dB. A reduction of 22dB. This is truly a mind-blowing result and considering the conditions, the Rode Blimp was quite at home.

blimps and foam?

The question did arise; what if the mic wore a foam windsock inside the Blimp? Well, what I was able to find out was that that this is not advised, as the higher frequency end would be attenuated, and that as the air inside the Blimp was not moving, the foam sock was a waste.

so how does all this work?

Simply by reducing the energy of the wind and absorbing it before it hits the microphone element. With the Blimp, the outside frame supports a very fine mesh, which stops the wind from passing through, and it also absorbs the energy released. With the dead wombat on top, the long hairs further reduce the velocity of the wind, while also allowing sound to pass through.

The bottom line is providing the immediate area around the mic with non-moving air; of dead space. Simple technology, but until now a very expensive one, costing around $900. Yours from Rode resellers for around $250 including freight.

Any shotty will do - almost.

The other great thing is that Rode has recognized that not all the world has caught on and uses its mics. So they provide adapter rings for the double ringed suspension frame to carry mics with a diameter from 21mm to 30mm and up to 325mm long with the usual three pin XLR connection.

To ensure wind-proofing, the Blimp is fitted with a tail cable, so you simply attach your mic cables to the handgrip base. For those who want to mount the Blimp, the standard screw thread is there and fits perfectly on a mic stand or boom pole.

It's also light as well, weighing 755g with the tail cable and no mic it's easy to move and balance. The thing to get used to is that it is big; 490mm long and 125mm in diameter and is supplied not only with the dead wombat, but also a special hairbrush and hex key for customizing the suspension mounts to your microphone.

just another test

But what about interior work? As a mic is an expensive and fragile piece of equipment, I've always used it - and stored it - with at least the foam sock as shock protection. I did another test, at home with the air-cooling off so the air inside the room was as still as possible.

Just moving the bare mic in the shockproof mount showed wind noise. This was astonishing, as I had never really thought about it as a potential problem.

As mentioned before, the noise of the still air striking the metalwork of the moving microphone was creating noise. The issue was fixed simply by placing the foam sock on the mic.

I cranked up the air cooler (it was 42 in the shade outside) and repeated the test. The wind noise was noticeable noise even with the foam sock. This was reduced to a negligible level by slipping on the dead rat.

Moral of the story; For maximum wind noise reduction on set use a dead rat inside and a Blimp outside.

protect the blimp

As the Blimp is somewhat fragile, it can't be expected to lie in the back of the car getting battered and bruised. The low cost answer is to buy an aluminium tool case that looks like a briefcase from a super-cheap retail outlet for about $30. Remember the Blimp is 490x125mm in size.

The case I use is about 20 years old and it easily takes the Blimp, a set of headphones, the Rode Mic, 20m of coax, windsock and dead rat and wombat along with spare mic batteries.

While Rode Microphones, an Aussie company, is renowned as being one of the leaders in mic technology, It has to be acknowledged that its new Blimp is one of the greatest assets any outdoor mic user will benefit from.

The other thing that Rode has to be congratulated on is the cost; Under $250 delivered. The nearest serious competitor was just under $1000.

By David Hague   Thu, Feb 25, 2010

It is fair to say that the hobbyist / beginner end of the video market has never had it better; so many editing / authoring packages have been released of late with functions and features only previously available in high programs such as Adobe Premiere, Sony Vegas, Edius Grass Valley, Final Cut Pro and so on.

It is also fair to say that Magix has aggressively tackled this lower end market with their Movie Edit series of software, and now with the release of Movie Edit Pro 16 Plus (MEPP), I reckon they have the likes of Vegas Movie Studio, Premiere Elements and others of their ilk in the upper rage of "beginner's" packages in the gunsights.

And rightly, these others should be looking over their shoulder nervously.

As many of these styles of packages do MEPP uses both a timeline and storyboard metaphor for pulling clips, audio, effects etc together. There are a total of 99 tracks available per project, but any track can contain any sort of media, unlike many packages that limit you to say, 4 video tracks, two audio and so on. 99 is heaps, and in the real world I doubt more than 15-20 would be used at a time. To my mind, having massive numbers of tracks available is a bit like digital zoom on camcorders as it simply allows the vendor to be shouty with big numbers.

The interface of MEPP is freely adjustable; the user can place elements wherever they feel comfortable, which is just as well as for example, I prefer the timeline on the top next to the "video monitor" and I don't go for the current trend of dark grey interfaces as they assume the stereotype of editing in a darkened room and I find that look a little gloomy - accepting the contrast of your videos is easier to see.

Speaking of which, MEPP also boasts a workable secondary colour correction tool, which I don't think I have as yet encountered in lower level packages. There are a few more gimmicky things too such as an ability to create travel route animation and of course, a gazillion special effects and transitions which beginners love - but real filmmakers steer clear of (watch any Star Wars episode and take special note of transitions!)

All of the normal editing controls are there of course, and to get you up to speed with them, a bunch of very good tutorials are included in of course, video format. The manual is quite good too although I'd like slightly bigger print. Special effort has been put into audio with a music editor and also a Sonicfire-style music generator with allegedly 10,000 tracks available via purchasable CDs.

Videos you have created can be turned into DVDs via a very able DVD authoring system (using embedded markers in the video as chapter points) and assuming you have the equipment, ISO , standard and Blu-ray discs can be burned. If online is more your thing, both YouTube and Vimeo direct from the timeline are supported. Slideshows are also a snap. Of course both standard definition and high definition can bed ingested and edited in MEPP and output to these formats.

Getting into semi pro territory, multicam editing has been included (video clubs love that!) as has decent chroma keying (green/blue screen) and a very nice title editor - often an afterthought.

All in all, I think Magix is on a major winner here. The only drawback I found was that installation took forever. I chose to do a full install, and on an Athlon 32 under Windows 7, it took just over an hour. But at only $149.95, that is probably a small price to pay for the functionality.

Vendor: Magix (distributed by QV Software)

Web site: www.qvsoftware.com.au

Price: $149.95

We liked: Features and functionality, audio tools, storyboarding direct to Vimeo

We didn't like: installation time, dark grey interface

By Wolfie Rankin   Wed, Feb 24, 2010

Opening a drawer and finding old photos from another area is always an interesting experience. Grannies holding babies who are probably grandmothers themselves by now, Bronzed lifesavers at Bondi standing on golden sand, an almost complete Harbour Bridge, A teenage boy standing next to his car, done up in gaudy clothes, ready to go to the disco... The collar on his shirt practically has wings, he might fly there if the wind picks up.

The quality of these photos is really in the eye of the beholder, they might not be the clearest, but then if you consider photos as "paintings with light", as someone once called them, then it's really not fair or logical to say that only photorealistic painters, like Rembrandt, were better than people like Van Gogh or Picasso.

For many years, the only cameras I had were pocket cameras, the kind which took 110 film. Yes I wish I had my Pentax DSLR back then, but the fact remains that I did, at least, have *A* Camera... which allowed me to take photos of friends, family and my many beautiful animal companions, many of them sadly long gone.

It wasn't until the 90's that I invested in my Realist 3D, which I'd call my first real camera. This restored 1950's camera allowed me to take the most wonderful, irreplaceable photos of my family, in full 3D, it was worth every cent I'd spent on it.

A friend bought me my first digital, a 2.5 megapixel canon camera, which despite it's low resolution, also played it's part in my personal photographic history. without it, certain images I cherish, may not have existed.

Then I bought my Pentex DSLR, an *istDS, I love this camera, it takes pictures which I think are beautiful, crisp and clear. I use it often... but it has it's drawback too, it weighs about the same as half a housebrick. it's not a comfortable thing to have around my neck at all times. so, sadly, I often miss what could be a good photo because I've left my camera at home.

When visiting a blog recently, a writer suggested that the best camera, was the one you had with you... it makes a lot of sense. it's better to have a lower quality photo, than no photo at all.

Last week I finally bought myself an iPhone.

Now it's pretty brilliant, but the camera is, I'll admit, a bit of a wimp. You'd think that by now all phones would come with at least a five megapixel camera. Now most people would sneer about the iphone cameras quality, I did myself, but one person decided that it was an opportunity to create something new and interesting, and make some money for himself at the same time.

He made Hipstamatic, a program which simulated vintage cameras, film and lenses... it's a toy, but what a great toy it is. I've already taken some lovely shots while experimenting with it.

Admittedly I'm a bit of a purist, I must confess, and wasn't sure that I'd appreciate a camera applying effects to my photos... this is something I'd really rather do in photoshop afterwards... and I always keep the original photo that came out of the camera unedited, while uploading edited versions to flickr, etc. , but, I'll admit, I'm very taken with this, there's something about these photos which are more than just a bit of a laugh, they're warm, exotic and have a quality about them that photos from cameras such as Box Brownies had, that digitals usually lack.

On the iPhone screen, you see a picture of an old camera, and with a swipe of your finger, you can change the lenses to one of about five types which all produce their own effect on the final image. there's also a set of virtual flashes and film.

All the photos come out looking very "analogue" as the maker of Hipstermatic says, some of the photos look very greenish and have an almost underwater quality, another format reminds me of 60's photos, of women riding Vespas in Itally perhaps. There's a film that produces a rich black and white, which worked beautifully on my Alaskan Malamute.

Hipstamatic comes with about three lenses and three rolls of film (which never run out), and you can buy new ones via the application itself when more are released at about a dollar a pop.

If you've got an iPhone, Please give Hipstamatic a go, it's a lovely thing to play with, and it'll only set you back $2.50 from the itunes store.

Make sure you see the Hipstermatic Pool on Flickr
And my own Hipstermatic photos, here.

More about the software and how to get it, here.

Wolfie!